Can A Villain Become A Hero? (OLD VERSION)
by Bryan Dacote
Summary: After a fierce battle in the depths of the Water Temple Link spared Dark Link leaving the duplicate to contemplate his role and future. Years later after Link's journey in Hyrule was over; Dark Link has left the Water Temple looking for answers however an evil force has come to destroy Hyrule leaving the shadow to defend Hyrule in Link's place. (OLD VERSION! READ AUTHOR'S NOTE)


_Author's Note:_  
 _Since I am working on a reboot version of this fanfiction which was one of my very first fanfics I ever attempted I have decided to post what was written of the original. This story was never completed and still isn't so THIS WILL NEVER BE UPDATED OR FINISHED! Note this story was being written before the split timeline theory was popular so I was never aware of it yet. I mostly stopped writing this since at the time I just couldn't write romance. Also I didn't have the plot well thought out yet.  
I feel a lot more confident in my abilities as a writer so I think with rebooting this story (which will be uploaded within the next few days after I get a couple chapters written) I can make the new version 10 times better than this old piece of crap._

"Can A Villain Become A Hero?"

Chapter One: "Can Everyone Change?"

Link launched his hookshot at the marker on the ceiling. It attached to it's target and Link was sent flying forward. Link released the hookshot from the marker and pocketed it. "Damn. I hope this temple is almost over; this is a pain in the ass!" Link spoke to himself. He entered the door next to the marker. And as always since he stepped inside this crazy maze; he hoped that this would be the last door. But that was most likely not the case. He didn't care – he stilled hoped. He entered through the door.

The new room was really weird. It was hazy like a dream; the room's floor was covered in water – about half way up the shins. Unlike normal rooms; this did not have four walls. The water seemed to stretch out to eternity in all directions. The "room" was barren, except the barrenness was broken by two alters that had doors and an island in the center that had a dead tree planted. The room gave him goose-bumps and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Even though the room had a light fog, there was no sent of moisture, let alone a slight dampness.

Link made his way towards the door on the opposite side of the "room". A brisk walk filled with hope of getting him out of this place pronto, died quickly. The door was sealed shut. Link ignored his annoying fairy "friend" stating the obvious. Link turned back to leave the room, when he noticed a black figure blocking his path. Link looked at the figure; Link gasped at what he saw: it was as if he was staring into a mirror; the figure looked exactly like him. The figure's sword and shield were drawn. Obviously ready for a fight. Even though the figure looked exactly like him, his skin was a whitish tone, his cloths were jet black, and the eyes were a blood-like red. But the worst of all was the smile he wore. It sent chills up and down the real Link's spine.

As Link stared at this doppelganger, his clone swiped at him with a horizontal slice. Link snapped out of his shock and stepped backward narrowly missing a fateful slash to the neck. Link thought of the consequences if he didn't snap out of the shock so quickly, sent even more chills: the thought of drowning in his own blood was not appealing.

Link quickly drew his sword and shield in response to the attack. He should of drawn his sword when he noticed his copy with his drawn – stupid move; nearly cost him his life.

The clone launched a vertical slice, but Link blocked it with his shield. "Who are you?" Link demanded. The copy didn't answer; just stayed with the creepy smug and pushed Link back with his shield, and launched another horizontal slice. "Apparently, he doesn't like to talk" Navi stated. Link shrugged off the annoying winged devil's comment. Link decided to launch his own attack; a horizontal slice like his copy. Then as if the copy knew that it was coming: defended against it with a vertical, leaving the two Links' in a sword lock. Real Link was about to disengage the lock when he heard a voice similar to his own but deeper speak: "You… You're own dark side." Link was clueless at first, but caught on at the clone's statement. It was in fact an answer to his earlier question he asked. "You're… Me?" Link responded. Link was now back in the shocked state he was earlier. The clone took the moment to his advantage and knocked Link in the face with his shield. Blood poured out of Link's nose. Luckily it wasn't broken. But that knock in the face again knocked him out of a distraction. The clone tried stabbing Link but his quick feet allowed him to step aside fast enough to only take a small gash in the side. "Shit!" Link swore. "That was a cheap shot!" He yelled at his clone, but apparently he didn't care, he was going in to try a stab again but Link saw it coming, he moved out of the way again, and did the same trick his copy pulled on him: Link butted his shield into the side of the copy's head. Then the doppelganger vanished, he heard the faint sound of a footstep wading through the shallow water – the copy was going in from the rear! Link turned to face a vertical slice but narrowly missed it. Apparently the turn helped Link avoid it.

Link was tired of the tricks this "dark side" was pulling. So he decided to pull his own: Link backed off and sheathed his sword. Link kneeled and clasped his hands together and launched a punch into the ground. The copy thought this was a good time as ever to try to pull a finishing blow. But a ball of fire formed around Link and launched outward. The copy didn't see it coming: The copy was launched back into the tree. When the copy collided with the tree he dropped his sword and shield: Link ran forward and grabbed the weapon and drew it up to the doppelganger's neck. The copy looked at the real Link with something other than fierce determination to kill: fear. Link could see the fear in his eyes. This could have been another trick, but Link's gut said it wasn't. The look in the copy's eyes didn't give a hint of trickery. It WAS true and pure fear!

Link didn't know why, but he lowered the weapon, but still held on to it firmly. "What are you doing? Kill me!" The copy demanded. The tides have changed: now the copy was looking for answers and explanations. "Why should I?" Link responded. "You didn't even properly answer MY question! So give me a name!" The copy sat there, not annoyed, but dumbfounded.

"… You don't have a name, huh?" The copy didn't say anything, but he nodded a 'yes'.

Link was almost heart broken: The enemy he just fought didn't even have a name. "Dark Link." The real Link said.

"What?" The copy was still showing a confused look.

"That's your name now: Dark Link."

"Well it seems you've given me a name. Now answer my question: Why aren't you killing me?" Dark Link demanded.

"Again: Why should I? Normally I would kill something like you, if you didn't show something I never saw in any other monster I've fought."

"And WHAT may that be?"

"Simple: Fear: an emotion. You may not think so, but you seem pretty human other than appearance."

"You're sparing me just because I showed emotion?!"

"Yup, pretty much. Just the fact you switched from total fierce determination to fear. It shows that there's more to you than it seems."

Dark Link just gave a look that showed a mixture of anger and confusion. "Maybe you'll understand one day; that maybe villains can become heroes, if they look deep down inside themselves enough." With that the sealed door opened. Link immediately noticed the opened door and left, leaving his counterpart to mull this over.

Chapter 2: "Revenge For The Wicked"

A rock foot hold gave way under the Mask Salesman's foot. He watched as the rock fell down the mountain until it eventually smashed into a boulder and went into pieces. The Mask Salesman gulped as he saw the rock smash. "That could have been me!" he thought. He stared back up the mountain and continued climbing despite his intense fear of heights, but he pushed on. He had to complete his mission, he had to destroy that infernal mask. The Mask Salesman checked his pouch on his hip, the mask was still there.

That damn mask nearly caused the end of the world, if it wouldn't been for the kid in green who destroyed the evil inside it 6 years ago. But in fact the evil wasn't destroyed, just merely sealed for a time. And lately The Mask Salesman has been having the feeling of dread for the last few months but hoping his fears were not true. But now he couldn't turn a blind eye to the feeling anymore. He had feeling that something horrible would happen, almost like what happened 6 years ago.

The Mask Salesman continued climbing, luckily climbing this volcano was a little easier without the huge backpack weighing and slowing him down. Eventually after a few hours, he reached the top. The tip of the mountain was a flat surface that in the middle was a gaping pit which at the bottom contained lava. The Mask Salesman took a moment to catch his breath, he wasn't used to so much physical torment which was not expected thanks to the large backpack he usually carried around. He eventually approached the pit pulling the mask – Majora's Mask into the lava.

The heat was almost unbearable, but he just had to toss in Majora's Mask and make sure it was destroyed. He sighed deeply and stretched out his hand that contained the mask. He released the mask and watched as the mask plunged into the inferno. The Mask Salesman let his heart come to ease as it plunged. "Now no one will have to worry about the evil of that mask" he thought. As soon as he finished the thought the mask stopped suddenly in mid-air with a red glow surrounding it. "Oh no… I'm too late…" The Mask Salesman mumbled with the sense of fear in his voice.

The mask began to slowly rise from pit. The Mask Salesman watched in total horror as it rose. He wanted to run, but there was no where to run, all he could do was watch his fears rise from a pit of fire to once more attempt to destroy the world. Majora's Mask eventually reached the peak of the volcano and glowed an even brighter red.

The glow became so intense that it blinded The Mask Salesman's eyes. The mask floated back down to the ledge of the volcano still glowing an intense red. Suddenly The Mask Salesman felt something pierce his gut and exit through his back. He looked down to see that Majora's Mask has turned into something humanoid and it's newly formed arm stretched outward into a spear that was sticking through his gut. "You are now just a preview of the fate that child will follow." A voice said. And suddenly as it came The Mask Salesman felt the object slice through his side and exit only to follow another slash go through the fresh wound and exit through his other side making The Mask Salesman's vision suddenly go black.

"… I have met with a terrible fate, haven't I?"

Chapter 3: "Setting Out"

Dark Link leaned up against the familiar dead tree that was in the room he was once condemned to. Sure, he could leave because there was no evil in the Water Temple anymore, actually since Ganondorf never took over meant that none of the events ever occurred. "But why do I exist? How do I still remember what he told me? …What did he MEAN?!" Dark Link screamed in frustration. "Oh well… why bother questioning something that can't be explained? I'll probably never know."

Dark Link stared at the illusionary sky and replayed the conversation with his counterpart in his mind. " _Maybe you'll understand one day; that maybe villains can become heroes, if they look deep down inside themselves enough_." Those words echoed back. He has looked at himself dozens of times but it still eludes him on why he was sparred. "… Maybe I should leave and find out for myself…" Dark Link wondered.

He got up and grabbed his sword and shield and strapped them to his back. "Why not, better than sitting around here trying to figure it out." Dark Link thought as he walked towards one of the doors and opened it. Dark Link has occasionally left his chamber and explored the temple so many times that he knew it like the back of his hand.

After a few hours of going through the Water Temple he made it to the exit. He found the exit in a small pool. He dived in and swam through the exit. Dark Link found himself at the bottom of a lake. He immediately swam upwards to the surface for air and a better view of the outside world. He eventually made it to the surface, and looked around at the vast lake. The lake was naturally large – exactly as he pictured it. Dark Link noticed the near by island behind him and swam towards it. After being on shore Dark Link stared toward the beach on the opposite side of the lake. The view was amazing and had a sort of sense of peace to it. Apparently there was no one on the beach. There was a house next to the beach on a cliff towering over the lake. Dark Link made his way towards the house using the bridge that stretched from the island he was on to a small island then to the cliff next to the house. Dark Link rounded the house and noticed it had no windows. He thought of entering but decided against it so he walked toward the path that lead away from the lake.

Dark Link eventually came across a sort of checkpoint by the entrance path back towards the lake. He walked up to soldier guarding the path, the soldier looked behind him at Dark Link and the soldier's eyes opened wide with a face of shock and surprise, the soldier suddenly stood at attention and saluted Dark Link. "Sir Link! I see you have returned from your journey!" the soldier spoke. Dark Link opened his mouth to speak but the soldier cut him off; "Sir, Her Majesty has eagerly awaited your arrival for the last 6 years! I am sure she will want to see you immediately. Shall I send out to the castle to notify her of your return?"

Dark Link, curious, nodded slowly. Immediately the soldier ran off past a brick wall and a few minutes later walked back on a horse. "Sir Link, would you like to come along?"

"No. I'll wait. I think I will explore some of the area."

"Yes, sir, but I do recommend taking refuge at Lon Lon Ranch, just North-east of here" as the soldier pointed in the direction."

Dark Link nodded. "OK, thank you for the information."

The soldier nodded and steered his horse around and rode off. As the soldier left, Dark Link looked around at the field, it was very wide-open, but nothing really worth exploring, so instead he made his way north-east towards Lon Lon Ranch.

Chapter 4: "Meeting Malon"

After a few hours Dark Link arrived at Lon Lon Ranch. After walking through the gate, he made his way to the house that was just after the main gate, Dark Link knocked on the door but there was no response. Behind him was another building, it appeared to be a barn, he knocked on the door; again, no answer. "What the hell?" Dark Link mumbled.

Giving up on the house and barn Dark Link walked out on to the corral. Out on the other side of the corral was a woman attending an adult horse; she was in the 18 to 21 years old range. Dark Link walked towards the woman; from his distance he could make out more of her features despite that she had her back facing. She had long red hair that went down to the center of her back. She was average weight, but she looked slightly muscular, which would make since she works on a ranch. She wore a long pink skirt that went down, slightly above the ankles. She also wore a sort of white T-shirt. Around her neck she wore a yellow bandana.

"Umm… Excuse me miss." Dark Link said after clearing his throat. The woman stopped what she was doing and turned her head to see him. Her eyes were a dark blue color, and her face made Dark Link's mouth go suddenly dry. "Yes?" the woman spoke in a gentle voice.

"Uhh… I was w-wondering…" he stuttered as she giggled at his stutter. Dark Link cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you would allow me to rest here while I wait for a response or escort…"

"Hey, haven't I seen you from somewhere?" The woman interrupted. "Oh, oops. Sorry, for interrupting. You were saying?"

"I don't think so… maybe perhaps…"

"NOW, I know where I've seen you! You're that fairy boy; Link!"

"Well… not exact-"

"Do you have _any_ clue on how long I've been waiting for you?!" the woman screamed as her face began to turn red with anger.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Dark Link said as he slowly lowered his head so he could face the grassy ground, strangely he had a feeling the woman did the same. The two stood where they were for a long awkward silent moment. Until the woman began to slowly cry. "I-I guess you don't remember me… Do you?" Dark Link raised his head and opened his mouth to answer but he couldn't, so he instead shook his head. "I guess that makes sense… you must have been on so many adventures and perils. I guess it can be kinda hard to remember some people." The woman continued not even noticing Dark Link's silent response.

"Yeah… I guess so… So umm… miss…"

"Malon" the woman said suddenly. "My name is Malon."

"Miss Malon… well if my presence causes some discomfort. I'll try to find my way to the Castle Town…"

"No. You can rest here for the night. You can sleep in the barn. …That _is_ what you were you trying to ask, right?"

Dark Link nodded. "Thank you Miss—"

"Oh just stop with the 'Miss' crap, just call me Malon."

Dark Link smiled, "OK, Malon, and thanks for the space."

"Wait, you think this is free?" she said with a returning smile.


End file.
